In the final segment of our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide, we take a look at great gifts under $20. Looking for a cool item for a Yankee Swap or a killer Secret Santa present? We have some great ideas that you can afford even on a budget that will really impress whoever’s lucky enough to open them!
Anker PowerWave Wireless Charging Stand
This Anker wireless charging stand supports the iPhone’s fastest wireless charging standard of 7.5w. It also supports 10W charging for compatible smartphones, horizontal placement so you can watch videos while charging, and it’s backed by an 18-month warranty. Oh they already have a wireless charger? That’s ok, you can never have too many of these things.
Anker Powerline III 6-foot Lightning Cable
Similarly, you can never have too many Lightning cables, and we like Anker again with the Powerline III. It’s MFi-certified by Apple, so no worries of incompatibility or build quality issues, it’s ultra-durable with an expected 25K bend lifespan, and it’s 6 feet long, so you can comfortably use your device while it charges.
Bodium Brazil French Press Coffee and Tea Maker
Give them the gift of fresh coffee with the Bodium Brazil French Press. You just add in your coffee grounds and some hot water, wait 4 minutes and plunge. You get a much richer cup of coffee than you do with a Keurig or any paper filter drip maker because of the French Press’ built in metal filter. Folks who press their own coffee love it because of the control this simple but effective mechanism gives them over their final cup. This is one of those things I probably wouldn’t buy myself, but if I was given one for a gift, I’d happily give it a try.
Riddles & Brain Teasers for Expanding Your Mind
As the title suggests, this book is full of riddles, puzzles and brain teasers. Reading it will not only help your critical thinking skills, but if you’re able to memorize some of its contents, you’ll be the interesting and witty person at parties that…knows lots of riddles, puzzles and brain teasers.
Handheld Oregon Trail Game
No matter what the age is of the person you are shopping for, chances are they’ll get a kick out of this Handheld Oregon Trail game. The software is the [licensed] authentic 80’s version of the popular game, and the hardware is built in vintage Mac fashion. And yes, it does come with batteries.
Electronic Catch Phrase Game
This is the handheld electronic version of Catch Phrase, one of my all-time favorite games. You play on teams, and each player is given a word or phrase that they must get their teammates to guess, without saying it. It’s fast-paced, quick-thinking, and always results in laughs. This might just be the perfect gift for the holidays.
Amazon Echo Input w/ Alexa Voice Assistant
Give them a smart speaker, without having to actually buy the speaker. Amazon’s Echo Input lets you add their Alexa voice assistant to any speaker via Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio cable. They’ll be able to set alarms, stream music, and ask about the weather, news or traffic. There’s even a microphone off button, that electronically disconnects the built-in mics if they ever get creeped out.
Hasbro Gaming Rubik’s 3×3 Cube
Am I alone in thinking the Rubik’s cube is under rated as a gift option? It’s essentially a never-ending puzzle, it’s super portable and it doesn’t require batteries. Plus it comes with a little kickstand that makes it the perfect desk trinket. The way I see it there are 3 possible gift outcomes here: it ends up in the junk drawer, they use it as a pseudo-fidget spinner (like I do), or they learn to solve it quickly and proceed to plot their global takeover.
Field Notes Original Kraft Memo Book 3-Pack
I’ve been saying it for years, and I’ll continue to say it: Field Notes Memo Books make for awesome gifts. They are the perfect, pocketable size, they use quality, they are very smooth to write and sketch on, and this 3-pack includes Plain, Ruled and Graph paper. Want to go the extra mile? Include a handsome pen or set of colored pencils.
HomeLabs Sunrise Digital Alarm Clock
Here is a much cheaper version of the Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock we mentioned in our Parents gift guide. There’s obviously going to be some feature differences, but the premise is still the same with this HomeLabs Sunrise alarm clock. It uses a warm LED light that gradually brightens for 30 minutes before your alarm is set to go off and plays nature-inspired sounds. More pleasant than the piercing Radar ringtone, wouldn’t you say?
RTIC 30oz Stainless Steel Tumbler Cup
Well-made tumblers are another item I believe always make for a great gift. This one isn’t from the notorious abominable snowman brand, but it is half the price and of similar quality. It’s made of stainless steel and RTIC claims it’ll keep ice for up to 24 hours and warm drinks for up to 6 hours. Hey, didn’t we mention a coffee press earlier?